Growth habit: Low-growing rhizomatous perennial

Height: 10 - 40 cm

Spread: 30 cm

Bloom Time: July - August

Bloom Colour: Pinkish purple

Light: Full sun

Moisture: Moist to average; drought tolerant once established

Soil: Average garden soil

Seeding: Seeds require cold stratification in order to germinate. See the Plant Info page for more detailed information on growing from seed.

Landscape uses: Spreads slowly by rhizomes. Good for a rock garden or gravelly conditions, but will grow in most garden soils. Suggested spacing for planting is 30 cm.

Interesting features: This small aster has introduced itself from the Rocky Mountains into the Edmonton area. It is a circumpolar species and grows widely across the northernmost regions of Canada, Europe and Asia.

Natural habitat: Open gravelly or sandy areas in boreal forest, wet meadows, open aspen and spruce woods, riparian thickets, sandy or gravelly stream flats, stream banks, lakeshores, bluffs, sand dunes, sandy places, subalpine and mountain meadows.

Ecology: Attracts bees and butterflies. Asters are a high value late-season plant for many pollinators and beneficial insects. The masses of open flat flowers on a single plant provide easy access to large quantities of nectar and pollen in one stop.